Better than Before
by hardshocker2
Summary: No matter what they say, having help will always make the burden easier. You just have to allow it.
1. Chapter 1

Yang was worried about a lot of things usually. She was worried about getting all of her homework done. She mostly did it all at school so that way it didn't get in her way of having her free time away from school. Despite what her grades said, she was a firm believer that school work should stay at school. The only work she ever did at home was writing essays, and only because the school never allowed enough extra time to write it there. All of her extra time should be for her to decide to waste on whatever she wanted. It wasn't always a waste to Yang though.

Another one of her worries was her sister Ruby. A girl who was only a year younger than Yang and yet seemed to have more childish qualities than a middle-schooler. Yang liked to spend a little of her free time trying to help keep her sister on track. Ruby had a pretty big sweet-tooth and needed someone to reign her in before she ate things like whole entire cakes in a single day. Yang handled that problem by either intercepting Ruby before she got to sweets or hiding the offending contraband. That was only a small problem though. A larger one was getting the girl to study properly. Yang would trap Ruby in her room and make her study while Yang would help out when needed to explain something. Though the friend that Ruby made three months ago seemed to be the one who was helping Ruby with her grades now.

That led into another worry of Yang's though. This friend of Ruby's whose name is Weiss Schnee. Ever since Yang had gotten back from her trip to see her biological mom, those two seemed almost inseparable sometimes. When Ruby first talked about attempting to befriend her, Yang almost laughed. Most people had wrote her off as a hoity-toity rich girl who would barely say two whole sentences to anyone. But here they were, the three of them at a lunch table like they had always been friends. It was mostly between Weiss and Ruby though. Yang tried to pay attention to their current conversation but she kept getting distracted every time she noticed when Ruby gave Weiss lovey-dovey eyes, or when Weiss would put her hand on Ruby's while they talked to each other. Half of their lunch period was spent like that. Yang didn't know what was going on between these two but it started to feel like Yang was being turned into the third wheel at the table now. Thankfully, it was around the time she would go see Blake in the library so Yang got up and headed out without the two others even noticing her.

Blake was definitely a pleasant sight for Yang. Walking towards the back of the library gave her a glimpse of her girlfriend's head from behind. Blake was firmly sunk into her normal chair with her head down and attention firmly stuck within the pages of her book. Yang never really tried to sneak up on Blake because Blake always seemed to tune the world out around herself anyway. Even now, Yang was standing right behind Blake's chair and she didn't even notice.

"Blakey…" Yang said just loud enough where only Blake could hear her. Blake's head lifted in acknowledgement of Yang's presence. Yang took it as an invitation to lean down and wrap her arms around Blake. "How's your day been?" Yang asked in a low whisper.

One of Blake's hands reached up to grab Yang's arm as her show of affection. "Pretty calm so far. You?"

Yang took notice of the hoodie Blake wore. The sleeves long enough to nearly cover Blake's hands if she wanted. It also meant it definitely covered Blake's wrists and ribbons. It was Blake's way of subtly telling Yang that she didn't want her arms looked at today so Yang wouldn't be able to see what color Blake's ribbons were. It meant that topic was off the discussion table. "I ditched Ruby at the lunch table because she and Weiss were getting all touchy-feely again." I told Blake. "Those two are almost always together now."

Blake gave Yang's arm a small rub. "Are you getting jealous?" Blake asked.

Yang scoffed. "Nah. I'm just not used to seeing Ruby act like that. Or get so close to someone that wasn't family."

"Maybe that's a good thing. You always said she needed more friends." Blake said.

"That's more than just 'being friends' if you ask me." Yang said.

Blake chuckled a bit. "That's a little bold considering our own situation, Yang. We're still hiding because you're still in the closet."

Yang groaned and dipped her head to slightly nuzzle against Blake. "That's not fair, Blake…" It wasn't like she was ashamed of who she was in love with. Though she hadn't quite told Blake that little tidbit yet. She just knew how some people could be. A life of hiding wasn't what she wanted but it made things easier to bare while other stuff would pile on her shoulders. It didn't stop her from feeling completely frustrated that she couldn't put her all into her relationship with Blake though.

Yang was roused out her frustrated thoughts by Blake. "It'll be okay, Yang. I'm not rushing you." Yang wanted to reply but didn't get the chance due to Blake turning and giving Yang's cheek a quick peck. The only reaction Yang had was to hide her face in Blake's hair out of embarrassment. As risky as that maneuver was, the giggle that escaped from Blake was worth everything to Yang. "How about I come over tonight? Would that make you feel better?" Blake asked.

Yang's initial thought was to scream "Yes!" but she knew better than to make such a loud noise in the library. Instead, she chose nice and calm. "I would really like that…" Yang answered, admittedly a little more timid sounding than intended.

Another giggle from Blake. "And people say I'm the shy one." Blake said as the hand she had on Yang's arm reached up to gently run through Yang's hair. That was then bell rang though and the two no longer had the moment for themselves. They were set to be separated for the rest of the day until they went home together to Yang's home.

Yang really wanted to be happy but it was tainted a bit by a tiny detail she wasn't supposed to know. That last act of affection from Blake betrayed her. As she had reached up, Yang had accidentally spotted a quick flash of red under Blake's hoodie sleeve. It had made her wonder if maybe Blake offering to come over wasn't just for Yang's benefit. All she could do was try to shake it off though. Yang wasn't supposed to know.

* * *

This was Yang's happy place. A stomach full of food, a cozy night on the couch with a blanket, and her girlfriend next to her as they enjoy mindless television. Sure, Blake wasn't all that interested in the fast paced action going on but she indulged Yang in her love of explosions. Having Blake here took the edge off of Yang's worries more than anything else could. Plus, Ruby was back in her room while their Dad was sleeping early for his job tomorrow which allowed enough comfortable space for Yang and Blake to give in to their desire to be close.

Blake had her head on Yang's shoulder currently. Yang could feel the warmth between them grow as she slowly got more relaxed and let go of her paranoia. She couldn't help but snake her arm around Blake and pull her closer while Blake's other hand had reached out and rested it on Yang's leftover arm. The feeling as Blake's fingers lightly brushed up and down her arms made her relax further into her girlfriend like she could disappear at any moment. Yang let her eyes wander over to take a peek at Blake who had a small smile on her face while she watched the television. It was such a beautiful sight to Yang. She felt a twinge though when her eyes continued to wander and landed on Blake's still covered arms. Yang wasn't allowed to directly bring that little thing up but she felt like she needed to say something. "How are your parents doing? They don't seem to mind you being over here all the time." Yang asked.

Blake's smile faltered for a second as she sighed. "They're fine, I'm assuming."

"You assume?"

"You know I don't see them that much, Yang." Blake said. "Dad hides in his little office while working on his writing and Mom is still away on her volunteering work. Nothing has happened so I can only assume they're both doing fine."

Yang knew her family was just one of many and that they all can't be the same, but she couldn't help but hate how Blake's didn't sound like one. For two years, Yang had slowly learned through how Blake talked about them. Which wasn't much unfortunately. After so long of hearing about it, Yang started asking Blake to come over in hopes she could start to find some kind of family in Yang's. In some ways it worked. Blake got along with Ruby and her father pretty well without much trouble. At first she didn't like how we could be a handful but soon enough she was rolling with the flow. At some point, Yang found herself head over heels for this girl which was a concerning revelation for her. A feeling she never thought she would have for another girl. Yang had doubted the whole idea, but when she found out about what Blake did to herself, Yang's heart nearly broke in half. She needed to be there for Blake. That's what she knew was the most important.

"Yang." Blake said, breaking Yang out her thoughts.

"Hmm?" Yang hummed.

Blake gave Yang's arm a small rub with her hand. "You don't have to always worry about me."

Yang tried to smile her way out of it. "I don't know what you're talking about, Blake."

Blake frowned. "I know you saw it." Blake said before lifting herself up enough to pull her hoodie off. Yang's eyes couldn't stop themselves from shooting to Blake's arms. She was right. Bright red ribbons wrapped around Blake's left wrist. Blake held her arm out for Yang. "I'm not happy I did but I'm trying to get better. You've helped so much and I appreciate that, but I'm not here tonight for me. I'm here for you."

"Blake, I'm fine. I…" Yang tried to start but Blake stopped her.

"You're letting too much stuff sit on your shoulders." Blake explained. "You keep fretting about Ruby getting close to Weiss. You keep putting me before yourself. And I know that hiding our relationship is getting worse and worse for you."

Yang wanted to deny it but she honestly couldn't without upsetting Blake even more. "I'm handling it fine. Not everything is perfect but it's okay."

"Is it, Yang?" Blake asked.

Yang thought for a second. "It'll be okay. Everything will get better if I stick it out."

Blake shook her head. "You need to worry about yourself sometimes, Yang. I know I should be the last person to say it but you should take care of yourself or let someone help you."

"I guess I could relax some…" Yang admitted. "I'm just kind of terrible at it besides sleeping."

Blake's smile finally reappeared and she wrapped her arms around Yang. "You are terrible at it but that's okay too."

Yang felt her own lips pull into a smile and returned the warm embrace. "How do you make me so happy?" Yang whispered.

Blake pulled back, still smiling. "Hopefully the same way you make me happy." Blake said before she leaned in and kissed Yang without hesitation. Yang was expecting it to be quick like always but she quickly learned that Blake was not giving up. Next thing Yang knew, Blake had her on her back and trapped beneath Blake's body. When Blake finally pulled away, Yang was breathless and she could feel Blake's chest breathing hard to get fresh oxygen.

"That… was unexpected…" Yang managed to get out.

Blake let out a laugh and dropped her head onto Yang's chest. "How did I fall in love with you?" Blake asked jokingly.

Yang almost shot up at Blake's confession. "You love me?"

Blake lifted herself off Yang's chest to look down at her. "Obviously. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"I love you too." Yang said before she could even think about it. She expected Blake to laugh again or something but instead she saw Blake's face go from surprise to happy. Yang couldn't help but smile back at her girlfriend. "I've kinded wanted to say that for a while but I was worried about…" Yang's mouth was immediately distracted from what it was saying as Blake dropped back down onto her. It was another long kiss that could have lasted an hour for all Yang knew or cared.

Blake pulled back for only enough time to speak once. "Let me worry about you for once.." Then once again they were locked together for who knows how long. Yang thought she had heard some footsteps quickly run upstairs but she didn't care or worry at this point. Blake had made that demand pretty clear.


	2. Chapter 2

If Yang dropped dead now, she wouldn't mind all that much. Though, she couldn't do that to Blake. Yang wanted to make sure she was there for her girlfriend as much as she could throughout their lives. Some might think she was being extreme but the sleeping figure next to her begged to differ.

Black hair sprawled out in all directions on the bed they both shared for the night. Multiple limbs followed suit to take up as much space as possible. Yang had the honor of having one arm wrapped around her though. It was her favorite spot and she wouldn't have it any other way. She was taking in as much of the moment as possible before she had to get up for her stressful morning. Just a few more minutes of being here with Blake was all she had. After that was done though, Yang got up slowly with a sad sigh. "Be back in a bit, Blakey." Yang whispered.

Stepping out of her room gave her a sight that comforted her just as well as Blake did. Ruby had finally come back home and stayed the night, leaving her door open in the process to allow anyone to peek in. The pace at how Ruby and Weiss connected was concerning to Yang but Ruby had been drifting away for a while so someone who could keep Ruby in check was welcome. That didn't stop her from missing her baby sister though. The pure happiness of early childhood wasn't quite there anymore, along with Ruby's smile. Someone was bringing it back though and that made Yang happy enough but a tiny bit sad that it wasn't because of her own actions. Today wasn't the day for those thoughts now though.

Yang finally moved away from Ruby's door and made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. It was a pancakes kind of morning. Maybe it was to give everyone a good morning, or maybe it was for her. It was mostly for her. Now that Ruby was finally here for the morning, Yang could get things off her chest with her small family. She was going to finally tell her dad and Ruby about herself. It had to be this morning despite all the anxiety telling her to just go back to bed with Blake.

She lost herself in the mixing of ingredients to distract herself and pass the time. The sun slowly rose in the sky and shone the early morning light into the kitchen. Sounds of sizzling comforted her with pleasant smells as each fluffy disc was formed to near perfection. What made each cake special though, was the extras that would get mixed into it. Ruby of course, had chocolate chips generously sprinkled throughout. Blake, the few times she actually asked, would want blueberries in hopes of retaining some kind of healthy nutrients. Her dad shared Yang's love of having fresh bananas chopped on top and covered with a good amount of cherry syrup. Ruby used to make jokes years ago that Yang was just a girl version of their Father. That stopped around the time Yang started showing interest in seeing her Mother.

"Hey, Lightbright…" The nickname interrupted her zenned out cooking mood. Only her dad called her that.

"Morning, Dad." Yang simply replied without turning away from the food.

Yang heard something clink against something else followed by the tell tale sign of the coffee maker being set up for the morning. "Pancakes today?" His tired voice asked.

"Yep. Figured I'd whip some up since Blake and even Ruby are here this morning. Special occasion I'd say." Yang explained. The problem though was that she never explained about pancakes being her's and Ruby's little ritual when they weren't feeling the best. There were many times where her dad was happily chowing down on breakfast food while one of his daughters was wallowing in their own wasn't his fault though. They preferred seeing him happy instead of worrying about them. Yang quickly cut up the banana and spread the slices out evenly on top of his stack of pancakes. She placed the plate in front of him while he sat at the dining table off to the side of the kitchen.

He smiled up at Yang. "You two have gotten real good at making these."

Yang smiled back before going to get the other plates. "We just really like pancakes." She coolly replied.

"You and me both." He replied with a laugh.

Yang was enjoying the normalcy. Just a family having breakfast. Everything was going to be fine for her. Her dad loved her and would continue to love her even after everything has been said. Just don't chicken out like the many times she already had. Yang stared down at the remaining plates and finally smiled for real when seeing Blake's set of blueberry cakes. It seemed to be missing something though, she decided, and placed one of her slices of banana on top of it. Now it seemed right.

"You're such a sap sometimes, Yang." Ruby's voice said jokingly. Yang angled her head and saw Ruby giving her an understanding smile.

Yang sneaked a quick glance back at their dad eating at the table before turning back to Ruby, who seemed to have already snatched her plate from the kitchen counter. "I just.."

Ruby attempted an awkward hug with one arm while trying to balance her breakfast. "I already know, Yang." Ruby whispered. "Dad doesn't but you know he'll love you even if you break his leg."

Yang laughed through the panic about Ruby already knowing. "Thanks… I was going to say something this morning.."

"I got your back then." Ruby assured her.

"I'll need it. I'm still waiting on Blake. She said she'd be here for it." Yang explained.

"Always will be, Yang." Blake's voice said from behind as a hand was gently placed in the middle of Yang's back. Yang quickly turned to say something to Blake about the too obvious show of affection but the still sleepy look Blake had alongside her smile quickly stopped that in a hurry. It broke her down. Lying was hurting her and Blake.

"Dad?" Yang called out without taking her eyes off Blake. She knew her dad would be looking up to see what she needed. It was a habit he developed after one too many scrapes and cuts when her and Ruby were kids.

"What is it, Yang?" He replied from the table with a slightly full mouth.

"Me and Blake are dating. She's my girlfriend." Yang watched the smile on Blake's face slowly grow with Yang's admission.

"Oh." Her dad simply said.

"Why is that what everyone's response?" Ruby interrupted with agitation. "First Weiss does it, then Blake, and now even Dad!"

Yang ignored her sister's outburst and leaned in to kiss Blake without any fear about who could be watching for the first time ever. It was the most amazing thing she ever felt. When they pulled apart Yang could see that Blake was probably feeling the exact same thing as she was because it took a long time for Blake to finally reopen her eyes. "I still haven't brushed yet.." Blake said. Then they were just left staring at each other in the kitchen. At this rate Yang was going to associate the smell of fresh pancakes with this moment. It was much better than feeling sad every time she had them.

"Yang." Her dad said, pulling her attention back to the real world. She turned around and saw him giving her a thumbs up. "A lady killer it seems, just like your old man." He joked. Yang felt her face immediately burn with embarrassment from her dad's dumb joke and turned back to hide her face in Blake's shoulder out of habit. She could feel Blake laughing along with her dad. "I assume she does that a lot." She heard her Dad ask.

"It's become a habit." Blake replied.

"You aren't helping, Blake…" Yang mumbled into Blake's shoulder.

A hand started to slowly rub Yang's back. "Sorry. I'm just trying to get along with my girlfriend's dad." Blake said, adding fuel to the fire.

"Blaaake.." Yang's whine caused her dad to start laughing all over again.

When he finally stopped there was a small pause that made Yang finally look back up at her dad. He had the largest smile that had seen from him in a long time. "Blake.." He started. "Nothing's changed. If you're making Yang happy, then you'll always be family." There was a swell in Yang's heart when she realized that she finally got it all out there and that she no longer had to lie. "Now then, you two need to sit and eat those pancakes before they go completely cold." Her dad pointed out. But of course, he always had to get another jab in. "Yang is a great cook, by the way Blake." He said. "You know, something to keep in mind…"

Blake just turned and smiled at Yang. "I will, Sir."

For once, Yang was never more happy to feel so embarrassed.


End file.
